I need a gun to feel like a man!

[JTH]

My liberal sister-in-law posted some gun control BS yesterday on Facebook. A few people responded on that side with emotional agreement. Then a couple people posted pro-gun facts. The response was personal attacks on the pro-gunners. My s-i-l never commented once on the post. I responded respectfully that Good guys with guns stop evil guys and factual data. Some wacko jumped in on his wife's account and told everyone to stop attacking my s-i-l.

Isn't that most gun control arguments in a nutshell?

1) Statement of emotionally-chosen factoid supporting gun control.
2) Expectation of agreement.
3) Statement of pro-self-defense facts conflicting with emotionally-chosen factoid.
4) Personal attacks on people providing pro-self-defense facts.
5) Re-statement of pro-self-defense facts and requests for discussion.
6) Call for pro-self-defense folks to quit attacking or bullying instigator of discussion.

No actual discussion of facts, unless more gun control factoids (normally either incorrect, out-of-context, or irrelevant to the argument at hand) are said as "rebuttal."

...oh, I forgot:  Normally in #6, there are also claims that pro-self-defense folks are angry, scared, or compensating.

Next time everyone reads a discussion like this, see if you can count off points 1-6.

 

[Mntnman]

Isn't that most gun control arguments in a nutshell?

Yes, in my experience. Sad thing is many people I know that have guns use this method in discussing personal defense weapons. They think that if I have a gun on me that I will not be able to control the temptation to kill someone. Nevermind the fact that I drive a 27 ton bomb every day.

[bullit]

"Liberalism is a mental illness".  - Michael Savage

[AAllen]

The six steps shown are pretty accurate, besides the psychological reasons that you have covered very well I think there is one other piece that has been missing from the why.  For the last 5 decades that is how the Liberals have been trained, if not on purpose through being involved/on the sidelines, to handle this.

The Liberal/Progressive/whatever movements have all been using the tactics instituted by Saul Alinsky in his Rules For Radicals.  Rule number 5 - Ridicule is man’s most potent weapon. It’s hard to counterattack ridicule, and it infuriates the opposition, which then reacts to your advantage.

I am not saying that an individual is purposely using Ridicule, but because of how prevalent its use has been for the last 50+ years that people are inclined to use it when their position of emotional attachment has been challenged.

So how do we get out of the 6 step loop?  Combating ridicule with ridicule quickly denigrates the debate into nothing more than name calling.  The most effective counter's are to point out that ridicule is the refuge of the desperate and uninformed.  Then either follow it up with a request for an apology for the attack (friendly method), or follow up with 3 more fact-based points that tie directly to your point. Finish with the point that if someone wants to engage in ridicule instead of discussion then they aren't in the right place. Whatever you do, remember the following: DON'T TAKE IT PERSONALLY. That's what they are aiming for - it takes you off your game. Remember it's a tactic, and frequently one of desperation or displaying a lack of a cogent argument. It's often a signpost to drive your point home hard and fast with facts as quickly as possible.

[bkoenig]

I don't need a gun to feel like a man.  That's why I drive a pickup truck and own power tools.

[RedDot]

I don't think I need a gun to feel like a man...however, when my wife got a 9mm I was strangely compelled to run out and buy a .45 

[greg58]

I need a gun to not feel like a panty waist, liberal, sissy, victim...
Plus I like them.

Greg58

[Greybeard]

I need a gun because it has become all too obvious in this day and age that the good old American work ethic hasn't been taken to heart by enough people. It isn't enough that those who would take my goods would do so and depart, too often they want to enjoy some sadistic pleasure as part of the process. That's why I need the gun!!

[ILoveCats]

The liberal argument of attacking a gun owner's self-reliance belies what is essentially their envy of people who can cope with the world around them. 

To quote the late, great Col. Jeff Cooper....

... "The people who would deprive us of our essential liberty are still there, and their amazing efforts to destroy the God-given rights of free men show no signs of diminishing. We know how hard and continuously these people keep up their fight to disarm us. The important question is why they fight us. Much as they may wish to use crime as their target, it is quite clear to them and as to us that crime is not the problem. Where the citizen is armed, crime goes down. All they have to do is look. Nor is safety an adequate argument for disarmament. Life is unsafe by nature, and mortal accidents occur regardless of the existence or absence of personal arms. I have thought about this at length, and I am puzzled to discover that the subject of the motivation of those who would confound our liberty is not broadly discussed. Personally I think the motive of those other people is simply envy. Envy, not money, is the root of all evil, and those who cannot cope envy those who can. Living in a free country - the last on Earth - I have been armed one way or another for most of my life. And though I have lived a fairly adventurous life, I have never yet had to shoot to save my life, or that of a dear one, in a purely civil encounter. But the fact that I have been able to and ready to has forestalled conflict on several occasions. This has afforded me great satisfaction, but it seems to annoy certain people who envy me my peace of mind. This product, peace of mind, is what I have provided for so many years at Gunsite, and the fact that it can be so provided is apparently what arouses the envy of the non-coper. I do not believe that I am exactly 'preaching to the choir' when I state this position, because I do not see that either our friends or our enemies are prepared to understand that envy is the issue."

... and Cooper again ...

 ... "Could it be that the essence of liberalism is fear? It occurs to us that those who are considered 'conservative' tend to be people who can cope with circumstances, while those who cannot cope tend to be of the 'liberal' persuasion. The pious man properly fears God, but on the political scene the winner fears only the state. It may be that the loser looks to the state for protection against the winner, and only eventually discovers that he has identified the wrong enemy."

[Ronvandyn]

Isn't that most gun control arguments in a nutshell?

1) Statement of emotionally-chosen factoid supporting gun control.
2) Expectation of agreement.
3) Statement of pro-self-defense facts conflicting with emotionally-chosen factoid.
4) Personal attacks on people providing pro-self-defense facts.
5) Re-statement of pro-self-defense facts and requests for discussion.
6) Call for pro-self-defense folks to quit attacking or bullying instigator of discussion.

No actual discussion of facts, unless more gun control factoids (normally either incorrect, out-of-context, or irrelevant to the argument at hand) are said as "rebuttal."

...oh, I forgot:  Normally in #6, there are also claims that pro-self-defense folks are angry, scared, or compensating.

Next time everyone reads a discussion like this, see if you can count off points 1-6.

 

Get that bottle of your favorite antacid and maybe a bucket for those of you with weak stomaches, this might be OFN for some but I found it ... interesting.

The Official Liberal Anti-Gun Playbook  (PDF warning)

http://s3.documentcloud.org/document...uide-pdf-1.pdf

[NE Bull]

Most of you have probably seen these, but totally reminded of this thread:

[Ronvandyn]

I found this when I was surfing a couple of weeks ago, thought you folks might find it informative.

The Liberal Anti-Gun Playbook
http://s3.documentcloud.org/document...uide-pdf-1.pdf

Have a trash can nearby when reading, this is yoiur only warning!
Ron